Foundation to salvage Dutch Open

Four members at the Kennemer Golf and Country Club near Zandevoort have begun a foundation to reinstate the Ladies Dutch Open to the LET schedule.

Ernst V.W Hamstra is the promoter of the ‘Stichting Professional Dames Golf’, and he has launched a media pack to over 180 Dutch Golf Clubs, all of the Dutch media and golf magazines to help promote the event.

Mette Hageman, chairman of the Ladies European Tour is also involved with bringing the Dutch Open back, firstly to Kennemer, the scene of Karine Icher’s second Tour victory at the Mexx Sport Dutch Open in 2001.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Hageman. “The last two events we had in Holland were very successful and we are all trying very hard to re-establish a Dutch Open again.

“We have so many talented female players emerging in Holland such as Nienke Nijenhuis and in the amateur ranks, we have a young girl called Dewi-Claire Schreefel and she is going to be a top player and it will help inspire more women to start playing golf in the Netherlands.”